Inlet systems for automotive internal combustion engines typically include a number of transfer ducts which extend between the combustion air inlet and the throttle body of the engine. The transfer ducts may be constructed of one or more materials which can be flexible or rigid and each of the ducts is required to join with its associated duct, or the inlet end of the throttle body, in an air-tight manner. The requirement for an air-tight connection between adjacent ducts, and at the duct/throttle body interface, stems from the precise metering of air at the engine inlet and the desire to eliminate the ingress of contaminants to the air flow.
A common sealing method for joining the components of an intake system is a compression seal which requires a seal and band-clamp combination to compress the joint until adequate sealing is achieved. Such a seal is time consuming to install, in many instances, as it requires manual tightening of the band-clamp while the seal is held in position. In addition, the compression seal may be prone to material degradation due to the exposed nature of its design.